4.4               FOOD HANDLING & FOOD SAFETY

 DATED:                   August 2005

    SOURCED:              Nutrition Australia, Food Handling Training Guidelines, 2005

SOURCED:              Equalis Training Organisation, Food Handling Guidelines, 2005

 SOURCED:              Good Food in Family Day Care – A food and Nutrition Information Kit 2002.                         Researched, developed and written by the Food in Family Day Care Project

________________________________________________________________________

POLICY

 

Bacteria as well as some viruses and parasites, can all cause food poisoning. 

To prevent food poisoning Carers need to:

a)                      Handle food safely

b)                      Store food safely

c)                      Maintain good personal hygiene

d)                      Maintain good cleaning practices

PROCEDURE

 

Handling food safely

a)                      Always keep raw and cooked food separate

b)                      Use separate utensils for raw and cooked food

c)                      Wash raw fruit and vegetables to remove soil and bacteria

d)                      Use separate chopping boards and wash in warm soapy water

e)                      Use plastic or glass rather than wood chopping boards

f)                        Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave and cook

       Thawed food immediately

g)                      Heat food until steaming hot (to 75C)

h)                      Check for ‘hot spots’ in micro waved food

i)                         Only reheat food once

j)                         Children must not handle hot food

k)                       Cooked food should be cooled prior to serving to children

l)                         The temperature of the food is such that any spills will not burn a

       child's skin

Store food safely

a)                      Regularly check that your refrigerator is 5c or lower

b)                      Cover and seal perishable food and store in the refrigerator

c)                      Store infant milk bottles in the back of the refrigerator, not in the

              door                                                

d)                      Store raw food separately

 

Maintain good personal hygiene

a)                      Always wash your hands before preparing food

b)                      Cover any cuts or sores and tie long hair back

c)                      Re-wash your hands if you 

      I.                                               touch your mouth, nose, hair or other parts of your body

     II.                                               go to the toilet

   III.                                               handle raw food

  IV.                                               handle garbage

   V.                                               handle an animal

  VI.                                               smoke

VII.                                               Ensure children wash their hands before handling or eating  food

VIII.                                               Have individual food, plates, cups and utensils for each child

 

 Maintain good cleaning practices

§                          Wash up in warm soapy water then rinse in hot water

§                          Ensure cutting boards are clean and have no crevices or cracks

§                          Use disposable paper towels to clean up spills

§                          Change tea towels daily

§                          Make sure garbage bins have liners and lids

 

Breast milk and formula

§                          Breast milk can be frozen for two weeks in the freezer section of a    

       Refrigerator or 2/3 months in a freezer with a separate door

§                          Prepared infant formula can be stored and used for 24 hours

§                          Use defrosted breast milk with 24 hours

§                          Throw out any milk left over after each feed.  Do not return it to the

               refrigerator or leave at room temperature

§                          Warming milk in the microwave is not recommended because ‘hot

        Spots’ form in the milk

 

Food brought from home

§                          Store children’s lunch boxes in the refrigerator, an esky or cooler

                    bag.  Dairy and meat products are particularly important

§                          If food needs to be warmed, reheat it quickly until steaming, then

               allow to cool until it is safe for the child to eat without scalding

§                          Reheat food only once and throw out any left overs

 

Transporting food

§                          When transporting food to playgroup, outings and excursions,              

               Carers should ensure that perishables, particularly dairy and meat products are

               kept cool

§                          Esky or cooler bags with freezer blocks and/or frozen drinks can keep food fresh

§                          Frozen sandwiches are also usually defrosted and fresh by lunch time